1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a power saving of an electronic device. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method for controlling the power mode of an electronic device to be changed or maintained according to predetermined criteria, and to the electronic device supporting the method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, a great variety of mobile devices has been increasingly popularized. In addition to a traditional call function, mobile devices now have other various functions, such as a digital file player or viewer, a digital camera, a mobile game, and the like.
Meanwhile, most of the mobile devices automatically perform a power mode function for power saving when no input signal is received from a user for a given time. For example, if there is no input signal within a specific time period, the display unit of a mobile device is turned off automatically.
However, in some situations, a power saving function may cause inconveniences. For example, a user may playback e-book contents or video contents that require no input signal for a long time. In this case, although a user intends to continuously view the currently played content, a mobile device may turn off the display unit after no input signal detected for a specified time. As a result, a user must repeat unnecessary manipulation to maintain the viewing mode.